‘Dickinson’: Ziwe’s Sojourner Truth Proves She’s History’s Baddest B*tch

After teasing that she has an extremely energetic houseguest in the early episodes of Dickinson Season 3, seamstress Betty (Amanda Warren) finally reveals who is staying with her in Episode 3, titled “The Soul has Bandaged moments”: it’s Sojourner Truth, played by none other than late-night host Ziwe.

And in typical Ziwe fashion, her take on Truth is big energy and over-the-top right from her first line, as she examines herself in a red dress in a mirror while staying at Betty’s house. As Betty comes in tentatively, Sojourner Truth sees her, and immediately says, “Betty’s back! There’s my bad bitch.”

Happily for those not completely familiar with the history of the iconic figure, Betty lays it all out while complimenting her in the dress. “They will know you are the great Sojourner Truth. Abolitionist, evangelist, fighter for suffrage–”

“–and famously single,” continues Sojourner Truth, before forcing Betty to continue writing her memoirs.

“Well, first of all, Ziwe is an amazing human being, let me just say that,” Warren told Decider at a recent press day for Dickinson, “and then her Sojourner, just really opened up Betty in a way that not a lot of people can, only friends or loved ones can.”

Betty, in the opening episodes of the season, is dealing with the fact that she doesn’t know where her husband Henry (Chinaza Uche) is currently located. He’s headed down South, but his letters have trickled off to nothing. Viewers know by this point that he’s joining the fight in the Civil War (how, remains to be seen), but Betty doesn’t know his whereabouts and is at least in part using her “job” working for Sojourner Truth to distract herself.

“She was the right house guest at the right time, opening and keeping herself optimistic, reminding herself that she can’t pour out of an empty cup, if you will, and to think about her wellbeing,” Warren continued. “Not just [her daughter] Helen’s, not just where Henry is, not her shop, but Betty herself.”

Ziwe’s Sojourner will pop up again later in the season, and Ziwe even joined the writing staff of the show this time out, as well. So you haven’t seen the last of the character. That said, we may never know exactly how old she is, something that the show immediately pokes fun of this week.

“That’s right, because I’m not going to die, no, I’m going home like a shooting star, watch me light up the night with my energy, can you believe I’m 60?” says Sojourner, without taking a breath.

“We don’t know your exact birthdate,” shoots back Betty.

“Betty, I’m roughly 66, and I look good as hell,” answers Sojourner.

Agreed, Sojourner. Agreed.

Dickinson streams Fridays on Apple TV+.

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